Kukla's Korner Hockey

"We're not far off at all. How many points are we out, six?" Giroux asked rhetorically. "To think of the start that we had and we're that close . . . we never thought about not making the playoffs. We've got to go game by game and we will make the playoffs."

After using the weekend to reboot after the brutal 1-7-0 beginning to the season, the Flyers went back to work with a practice that resembled (huff, puff) training camp. The Flyers are at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division, but they can still see the playoffs on a clear day.

So what if they are off to the worst start in franchise history and the team is scoring less than the 40-year-old Virgin. So what if the new coach's up-tempo system needs to be learned on the fly. Giroux, zero goals and three scrawny assists, will focus his mates on what can be done during the remaining 74 games.

"It's good to get your mind off it a little bit and kind of relax," Giroux said. "It was go, go, go and then [after being 1-7], panic button. I think we were playing like that, too. We'll reflect on how we were playing. We'll do more video [work]. I think [the break] is good for us."